BWF extends qualifying period

With the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting the international calendar, BWF was unable to complete the last six weeks of its one-year qualifying period, which ended on April 28

New Delhi: An extended qualification period for the Tokyo Olympics will be introduced next year and ranking points earned at tournaments during the original qualification phase will be maintained, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) said on Wednesday.

With the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting the international calendar, BWF was unable to complete the last six weeks of its one-year qualifying period, which ended on April 28. But with the Tokyo Games postponed due to the global health crisis, the governing body decided to extend the Olympic qualification period to next year.

“An extended Olympic qualification period will be introduced from Week 1-17 in 2021 and includes the select number of tournaments that were postponed, cancelled or suspended due to COVID-19,” BWF said in a release.

“These eligible tournaments within the new qualifying period must be completed by Week 17 in 2021.” BWF also said the postponed Olympic qualifiers is likely to be held in the same week next year as originally planned in 2020.

“Such eligible tournaments within this new qualifying period should preferably take place in the same corresponding week from 2020 to 2021.”If this is not possible, BWF will allow sanctioning on another date within Week 1-17 in 2021 subject to approval.”

The BWF also said that the ranking points gathered by players during the qualification period between April 29, 2019 to April 26, 2020 will be maintained. “All ranking points earned at tournaments completed during the original Olympic qualification period will be maintained under the Race to Tokyo ranking list,” the world body said. The BWF had earlier frozen the world rankings, making the standings on March 17 the basis for entry and seedings when it restarts the international calendar. The governing body had last week unveiled a revised calendar for the remainder of 2020 to salvage the disruption-hit season.

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